Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1920 — FAR EAST ATHLETES TO ENTER OLYMPICS [ARTICLE]

FAR EAST ATHLETES TO ENTER OLYMPICS

Big Sporting Boom Now On in Various Oriental Countries. Interest In American Games In China Has Caused Demand for Native __ Amateur Athletic Association —Skating Popular. Athletes from China, Japan, the Philippines and other far Eastern countries may be contenders for honors at the seventh Olympiad, to be held at Antwerp next August, and for a certainty will be formidable contenders at succeeding Olympiads, so keen has become the interest fostered by the Y. M. C. A. in these countries. In China, particularly, the interest in American athletics has caused a demand to come from all parts of this great new republic for a native national amateur athletic association. R. A. Leake, physical director for the “Y” at Foochow, China, reports that “the need for this has grown during the last few years, owing to Intersectional athletics and China’s participation in the far Eastern Olympics, held at Manila. On the occasion of the assembling of the Chinese team of more than one hundred picked men at Manila, it was decided to make a start toward organizing a federation. A committee was appointed to draft and present such a constitution and by-laws. This has beenr done, and it has been distributed for correction and criticism. The completion of the organization certainly will be effected during the coming year.” A great rivalry in American athletics has sprung up between China and Japan since the Chinese athletes outpointed the Japanese in the far Eastern Olympics last summer, although the meet was won by the Philippine islanders. Skating and skiing have become popular in japan, and, although that country is called the Land of the Cherry Blossoms, parts of it have heavy falls of snow and several weeks of splendid ice each winter. China has taken the hint from Japan, and an Oriental Johnnie Nilsson may appear on a sport program in the not distant future. The American swing and the American “pep" are rapidly being acquired by the far Eastern athletes, who are getting down to a real training basis. Baseball, football, and basketball, in addition to trade arid field sports, are rapidly growing in popularity in many of China. John Bradshaw, physical director of the “Y 3 at Amoy, China, writes: “The basketban league has proved a splendid success. Large crowds have attended the games and a great deal of interest has been shown, so that evan the middle schools taken up